Oh, Honestly!
by ChaosGamer
Summary: Someone with too much guts meets someone with too little of it.
1. Chapter 1

Misaka Mikoto disliked meeting Shokuhou Misaki.

Well, before that, she disliked Shokuhou Misaki altogether.

Firstly, it was her group of overbearing girls in her clique that she found hard to deal with. It was pretty difficult to deny their approaches when they (themselves) meant no harm.

Secondly, it was Shokuhou Misaki herself that Mikoto found hard to... well, tolerate, in general.

Which was why she was at unease, sipping her tea while sitting in front of Shokuhou.

But, at that moment, Shokuhou was not her only source of unease–

"–Would you stop shaking your foot?" Shokuhou snapped.

That remark, of course, was not directed to Mikoto.

It was directed to Sogiita Gunha, who sat beside her, arms crossed, _utterly bored out of his mind._

"Apologies!" Sogiita boomed, his voice ringing an octave louder than the room level. He stopped shaking his foot.

...Then, he began to whistle.

"Stop that!" Shokuhou snapped again. Sogiita dutifully obeyed.

...Then, he began to fidget.

Snarling, Shokuhou took out a TV remote and pressed a button toward him.

Not that that actually did anything. But Sogiita, taking the hint, finally was still.

...

Then, he began to sleep.

And snore.

Shokuhou's hand, clad in pristine, white glove, now covered her face.

Misaka Mikoto was gobsmacked. Just what was she even witnessing here?

With her unease only rising further, Mikoto took another sip of her tea. "So..." she broke the silence, tentatively guiding herself through this... rather unforeseen situation, "Why is he here? Why am _I_ here?"

Shokuhou then removed her white gloved hand and pressed it against the side of her head, leaning against it, with an odd, contemplative expression on her face. "It's because of this... _person_," Shokuhou jerked her chin toward Sogiita.

"And... what do _I_ have to do with him?"

Well, she did indeed fight against this guy before, in District 7 no less. But she doubted that Shokuhou was even aware of that event.

"He..." Shokuhou grimaced. "He reminds you of _him_, does he not?"

...

...

Ah.

"...Yes," Misaka set her teacup down, complex sets of emotions running through her, "yes, yes he does." Then she paused, her brow furrowing. "But wait, how do you even... I only introduced you to him, like..." how long ago was Daihaseisai, again?

"Hey!" Misaka was startled from her train of thoughts by Sogiita, who, for some reason, was now wide awake, his face lit in recognition at her. "You're that girl I battled with few months ago! How you've been!?"

It's been almost a quarter of an hour since they sat down at that table, and it took him _that_ long to recognize her... Misaka couldn't tell whether she should be sad or happy about that. Such a bizarre man...

"Oh! I know! If you're here, it must mean you want a rematch, isn't it!? Well well well, a gutsy challenge is always welcome–"

"Oh, honestly!" Shokuhou snapped as she grabbed his shoulders with her gloved hands, "you have such troublesome-ability; you were just asleep, so why did you wake up? Here," she set his face down on her lap, "_sleep._"

"Yes ma'am."

And he slept once more.

Mikoto's jaw, if possible, smashed against the table. "Wha-wha–!?"

"Shut it," growled an especially pink Misaki.

How? What? When? Where? Why? Hundred questions flooded through Mikoto's mind as she struggled to cope with this rapid chain of events. "How long...?"

"...A week," muttered Shokuhou, still stroking Gunha's hair.

Mikoto was supposed to be immune to electricity, but she was thunderstruck, regardless. "...Why?" Mikoto whispered.

But of course, she herself knew that such a question was such a pointless one.  
Questions were never pointless. But that one question was. Love was one lone thing 'Why' was useless against.

"I... don't know." Misaki thinned her lips. "And I hate that I don't know."

Certainly. Someone as obsessed as her in terms of mental control would of course be very disconcerted at her own unclear inner mixture of emotions.

"So, again, what do I have to do with this?"

"As much as I hate to say it, you're the only one that I can talk to about _him_..."

_Well, that's not entirely true,_ Shokuhou remarked to herself, _there's also that Kumokawa, but I doubt she met this idiot lying on my lap here._

"...and at the same time the only other person that appears to have met this blockhead here, apparently," Shokuhou gazed upon Mikoto.

"You knew about our battle even before he recognized me?"

"I like to keep track of your activities, Misaka-saaan..." Shokuhou winked.

"Geh." Mikoto then exhaled. "So what exactly do you want me to do here?"

"...It's possible, unlikely, but possible, that my emotions are being tampered with, to create these emotions I feel at this moment. Honestly? I'm not sure if you're the best person to consult to on this subject, but one has to start somewhere."

"Emotional manipulation?" Mikoto eyed that snoring mess of wild hair lying on Shokuhou's lap... despite her view being obstructed by the tea table, "_him?_"

"Not him, no, you silly," Shokuhou deadpanned. "Obviously, their goal must be to strike me while I'm distracted by this blockhead here."

"Sorry, but that sounds... _really_ roundabout, to be honest." Mikoto thinned her lips in pity.

Shokuhou sighed, her head drooping. "Then what do I do with _this idiot_, then?"

_'Idiot'_... Mikoto fidgeted in her seat; the particular way Shokuhou uttered that word was way too close for comfort as to how she herself used that word in reference to... _him._

...

"So," Mikoto leaned forward, "what... do you see when you look inside his head?"

Shokuhou gave an unimpressed look. "Nothing. absolutely _blank_. It's _bizarre._"

Mikoto shook her head. "Not surprised, to be honest."

"Boys are so weird, right?"

"Tell me about it."

...

"So, when did you two first meet?"

Shokuhou initially hesitated, but spoke on:

"Back in that first day in Daihaseisai, a Committee member took away my purse, stating that carrying it was against the policy."

Mikoto raised her eyebrows. "Surprising. Did you know that person?"

"It was that one Committee member... with the most _asset_..."

"Ah..." Mikoto caught on. Then grinned: "Half a size larger than yours, I bet."

"Shut it."

"So then..."

"I went back to take it back, but they didn't even store it properly; I found it spilled onto the floor, with this idiot here examining them like a newfound toy."

"What was inside?"

"...My... remotes, among other things..." _The idiot had the nerve to ask me what that whistle was for..._

"And then..."

"I took the purse back and tried to erase his memories of that incident."

"...Did it work?"

"Initially. I even made him go to sleep for couple of hours after that, but he shook that off too; when I turned to walk back to my event he woke up less than thirty seconds later, telling me that trying to erase his memories wasn't, in his words, _'very gutsy of me.'_"

"That's so... like, _him_," Mikoto grimaced. "That feels... irksome."

"Same. And the way he just... shrugged off my ability..."

"Did you know that this guy caught my railgun in his teeth, back then?"

...

"Well, it's true, you know," Gunha spoke up, startling both girls. Rising, he twisted his head this way and that, loosening his neck and shoulders. "It's not very gutsy to mess with other people's heads like that. Your thighs feel really soft, by the way," he remarked, causing Shokuhou's face to explode in various shades of crimson. Mikoto choked on her tea.

That crassness... that was so like _him_ too, they both reflected.

"That 'guts' again!" Shokuhou snapped, "I have plenty of guts! In fact, it actually takes a lot of guts to control other people's minds like that!"

"Oh yes," Mikoto smirked. "She has tons of guts, all right, all weighing her down."

"Shut it!"

"It takes... guts... to mentally control others..." Gunha's eyes sparked, with his brain actually trying to work, for once. "It is certainly imaginable that it'll take quite a mental fortitude to do such a feat... so... having enough guts to control other people's guts? But... is that still a gutsy thing to do...?"

Shokuhou shot a desperate look toward Mikoto's direction, who shrugged in response. "Sorry, but he's a lost cause, especially for someone like me..."

Shokuhou's head hit the tea table.


	2. Chapter 2

The Sports Players' Pledge of the Daihaseisai Festival.

That was where Sogiita and Shokuhou first encountered each other.

Out of Seven Level Fives, those two were chosen to recite that pledge.

That same very same pledge recital where he made that podium explode into pieces.

Shokuhou, during this first encounter between them, thought he was an idiot of a mentally deficient sort.

Sogiita... well, he didn't think much at all.

But it didn't stop there.

* * *

_"And the Unbreaking Bonds will... the Bonds will... ah, what was it?"_

* * *

As she observed him more and more, her distaste for him soon turned into dislike.

* * *

_"There was a bunch of stuff about the Unbreakable Bonds that you'll have to deal with using your Overflowing Guts!"_

* * *

And then into downright aversion.

* * *

_"...Show what you have learned from your everyday–"_

_"SHOW THE RESULTS OF YOUR EVERYDAY TRAINING AND GUTS!"_

_"–By showing how much you have progressed, show thanks to your parents–"_

_"SHOW OFF THAT SPLENDOR AND GUTS TO THOSE WITHOUT THEM!"_

* * *

Because her mind quickly realized that, while the personality was completely different...

This idiot's manner of speech reminded her way too much of _him._

And that really, really irked her.

* * *

_**"OVERCOME EVERYTHING WITH GUTS!"**_

_The podium exploded._

_..._

_..._

_"He upstaged me."_

_..._

_..._

_"Are you unhurt, my Queen?"_

_"I'm fine."_

* * *

It was bothersome, the way he had that similarity-ability with _him..._

_Are they... related?_ Shokuhou thought in passing.

* * *

Her trials did not end there that day, unfortunately.

Mere hours after that incident, a Daihaseisai Committee member had the nerve to take her bag away from her, stating that it was 'forbidden to bring anything along that wasn't her sporting gear'.

And just like that, she took away her bag.

With the suddenness of it all that made her unable to react in time.

...Really, what a troublesome-ability.

* * *

...

"...Mighty interesting."

Remotes.

Television remote. Audio set remote. Radio remote. A... digital recorder? And even a Wii remote...

Every remote he could think of.

And they were all unceremoniously spilled onto the floor.

"Mighty, mighty interesting."

The one crouched on the floor, peering over those remotes, was Sogiita Gunha, the 7th Level 5 Esper of the Academy City.

Like a child he examined those objects on the floor with fascination, as if they were his newfound toys.

"Excuse me."

Gunha turned around to see a young blonde lady in Tokiwadai Daihaseisai uniform standing behind him, her expression most serene.

"That's my bag you're poking around in. I'd appreciate it if you could give it back to me."

"Ah, so you're the owner of this bag!" Gunha smiled as he reached over to the remotes to scoop them back into the bag.

"No need for that," Shokuhou interrupted. There was no need for him to touch her belongings. "If you would step aside, please."

"Certainly."

After having regained possession of her bag, she ever so gracefully pulled out a specific remote, pointed toward his face, and pressed a button.

Really, someone like him was not even worth verbally uttering a command for... she additionally made him go to sleep for couple of hours, for a good measure.

She walked away, not even sparing a glance behind her.

Honestly... she expected much better from those Daihaseisai Committee members. Based on what she observed, due to their carelessness in storing her bag, it collapsed and spilled to the floor, and then that idiot came along poking his nose into the matter...

How troublesome.

...

...

But,

"Ohhh..."

Not even a minute had passed when that small groan caught her ears. Turning around, she saw him sitting up, clutching his head. "Not cool, man... not cool at all. Oh, but I guess since you're a girl, I guess 'man' is not the best word to use here. But what word should I use instead? Hmm."

"...?"

That shouldn't have been possible. She clearly made sure to make him go to sleep.

"Not sure what you did to me there, but my head's swimmin'." He then stood up, crossing his arms, grinning ear to ear. "That wasn't very gutsy of ya! Or... well, if you could do something like that to someone gutsy like me, I guess that's pretty gutsy in and of itself, I guess? Hmm."

Not even sparing another second, she pointed her remote to his face and pressed the button once more. A dazed look glazed over his face, and he tottered, as if about to topple over.

But then, with a determined glint, that familiar star of hers that was about to form in his eyes disappeared, and he straightened himself.

She pressed that button again and again.

And he shook it off again and again.

She felt an uncomfortable sense of déjà-vu wash over her mind.

Where did she see something like this before?

Didn't _he_ also shake off her powers like this too?

* * *

During all afternoon that day, that pledge event that occurred that morning, and that re-encounter that occurred shortly thereafter, occupied her thoughts thus far.

To be more specific, that idiot occupied her thoughts thus far.

Despite the fact that she was quite a busy bee that day, what with her coming across that collapsed Imouto Clone of that Misaka-san, which then she had no choice but to take that Clone to another location for safety; what with her orchestration between dealing with that unrevealed group hunting Misaka-san's Clones, while at the same time maintaining the secrecy of that ******** Project that created a giant version of her brain...

Despite all those busy tasks, she still felt her mind still think back to that boy.

_Really, what a troublesome-ability..._

And then...

Right in the middle of her lovely conversation with that lovely Misaka-san, she saw him.

Her Prince.

* * *

._ . ."There's nothing but tea, though..." That boy trailed off as soon as his eyes landed on her, in turn. "Um..._

_..._

_"...Who's this lady?" he asked._

_"She's a classmate," Misaka pointed her thumb toward Shokuhou. "Supposedly."_

_"Classmate...?"_

_Just then, his gaze, for a fraction of a second, dropped a good, full foot downward._

_Just then, in turn, Shokuhou felt her heart skip a beat._

_"Ah! Classmate, right. I see, I see."_

_Now, it was her turn to speak._

_To say that one sentence she really disliked repeating. And repeating. And repeating._

_But she had to say it anyway._

_Because, she was a Queen._

_And,_

**_A Queen ought to keep up appearances._**

**_That was her duty. Her imperative._**

_Which was why, she still maintained her fearless smile, and declared:_

_"Pleased to meet you, Kamijou-san."_

_In one swift motion she snaked her arm around Misaka's arm, and flashed her signature three-finger pose. "My name is Shokuhou, and I'm a friend of Misaka's. Let's get along !"_

**_"Who's a friend!?"_**

_"Yaaan, Scaaary✰"_

_She really couldn't help herself now, could she? She wasted no time in now snaking her arm around Kamijou's arm and hugging him close. "Misaka-san seems to hate me, and she's all piripiri towards me!"_

_"Ah... she's always going biribiri towards me too..."_

_"Well, then I guess she's all piripiri and biribiri then!✰ Ahaha, that's funny..."_

_"Ha... ha ha."_

...

Of course, now _this_... _this_ gentleman, standing by her side, her arm linked into his, was a true Prince. Her Prince. Shokuhou felt her mind flush with pleasure.

Totally unlike that idiot from before.

Totally.

Totally...

...

.

.

.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong hands grip her shoulders. Shaken from her reminiscence, blinking through her tears, she saw the unusually penetrating gaze of Sogiita glaring into her eyes.

They were still sitting there, at that cafe table.

"...Hh?"

"Have some guts..."

"...?"

"...and tell me what's bothering you," he spoke in a quiet, yet powerful tone. "What, you think you're meant to mope throughout all your life?"

"..."

Those eyes...

Why did those eyes remind her of _him_ so much?

"_...Touma..._" Shokuhou hiccuped.

Sogiita merely raised his right eyebrow in response.


End file.
